The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-08-21
WHAT AN ATMOSPHERE!

The editor OF Puck says: ut is rather
difficult TO picture to ones self the in
tellectuai life of an inveterate reader of
the New York Tribune" "Just think"
says Puck, what that poor devil be-
Iieves as to public matters. He thinks
that the President of the United States
is of character so vile and vicious
that history scarcely furnishes a paral-
lei for it. He believes that this monster
tries only to revive the Southern Con-
splrecy and to betray the Union into
the hands of the 'Copperheads' of 1851.
He believes that these Copperheads are
still living in the vigorous prime of life.
He has had to believe-perhaps believes
still-that the President is in a deep and
dark conspiracy to place Southern men
in power, and to infict every possible
wrong and indignity upon the loyal
citizens of the North-especially upon
the veterans of the Civil War"
The task may be difficult, but pales in
contrast with the difficulty of picturing
to ones self the disordered brain and
fanciful surroundings of an inveterate
reader of the Salt Lake Tribune.
We may trace him, as We may trace
the drunkard, in his downward course.
The poison works out its certain result.
The victim is unconscious of the ruin
that awaits him, but just as sure as the
vicious curse is PERSISTED in, will he be
come subject to delirium. His distem-
pered brain will conjure up the hideous
monsters of prehistoric days, round up
the snakes and vampires of the present,
and people the world with fantastic
COLLINS. Inveterate and implicit read
ing of the Tribune is disease, most
revolving affection, not of the body, but
of the conscience, by which both are
eaten away and destroyed.
Just think what such a
poor devil believes as to the
local situationl He believes, or
affects to believe, that one-half of the
Mormons are hypocrites, protesting re-
ligion in order to live upon the other
half; he believes that the Mormons are
the most licentious people on the globe;
he believes them to be dishonest, the
chief opponents, indeed, of every bad
quality of human nature; he believes
that a. any moment he is apt to fall a
victim to the knife of the DANTE; he
regards the troops on the hill as his
only defense against the fanaticism of
Mormonism; he is convinced that the
Mormon people have sworn undying
enmity to the government; that Nor
mons seek only to convert women, who
may administer to their lust; that
Mormon children are taught that any
advantage gained over Gentle, even
at the sacrifice Of right, is legitimate;
he believes that the Mormons have no
further reason for unity than the bid
ding of their chiefs; he believes that the
laws of this Territory have Disseminated
violently against Gentiles; he believes
that youths would better be
pimps, and girls prostitutes, than
Mormons; he believes that an
army should have accompanied the
first through trains to put down Nor
monism by the horrors of martial law;
and has for a motto that 1.-THE end
justifies the means" that the Mornons
are 30 wrong that, in dealing with
them, it would be folly to respect the
right.
"a man must be a fool to believe
such things" you say. Well it looks a
good deal that way. For if mans
thought of power and sense of rightand
wrong were not poisoned into insen-
sibility, he would be able to under
stand that in no one particular were
his belief aught but vain imaginings,
the bsseless fabrics of frenzied dreams
"But," says Puck, "a man may be
quite sensible and fair and honest in
all other affairs of life, and yet be an
irrational, disingenuous fanatic in poll
tics or in religion. The Tribune reader
believes all this nonsense-or makes
believe to believe it-because he wishes
to-"